


We Could Be Beautiful

by MyNameIsRochelleRae



Category: Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Murder, Break Up, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gun Violence, Heavy Angst, Hospitals, JD stops, Teen Angst, everything will be okay, he just STOPS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 17:18:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9774098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyNameIsRochelleRae/pseuds/MyNameIsRochelleRae
Summary: If JD did not snap, if JD did not set off the bombs, if JD just got one more chance.If Veronica just got out of that closet and faced him, if Veronica had saved him.That would be beautiful.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I really love the Heathers Musical.  
> And I really had to redeem JD. There is just something in me that had to do it.
> 
> I hope you do enjoy reading it.  
> Do leave me your opinions and constructive criticism about the story for me.

JD was going to set off bombs in the school. He was going to kill them all, but he was going to kill her first.

“I’m going to count to three,” JD’s voice was trembling with a raw anger that sent a shudder down her spine. Veronica was backed into a corner with a crazed boy holding a gun. He was right outside her closet, huffing and puffing like he was going to blow the door down. There was no way out. Then she realised something, beneath this madness was a broken boy. Beneath everything, everyone is just terrified. She was too, but so was he. But, he was just a boy.

“Can’t we be seventeen?” Veronica knew her voice was breaking, she knew she sounded scared. But she said the words anyway, the words she has said before. “That’s all I want to do, if you could let me in, I could be good be with you.”

“But those assholes are the key, they were keeping you away from me. But I will set you free,” JD laughed, and she felt her hair stand. Inside of him was a scared little boy, and she would help that boy see, that what he was doing is wrong and stop the chaos.

“People hurt us, and you are right, it really blows, but we let go, take a deep breath, then we go on with our lives,” Veronica forced herself to speak. She could feel him pause with thought, then she heard him slump down to the floor.

“You chucked me out like I was trash, for that you should be dead,” JD’s voice was calmer now, less demented. “But your love’s too good to lose.”

“I am so sorry, oh so sorry,” Veronica felt tears burn tracks down her face, “But can’t we be seventeen, cause you’re the one I choose.”

“Open the door, Veronica, please?” JD’s voice sounded so broken, so tired. At that point, they all were. Slowly, she stepped out the door.

“Mistake number one was that you ran, mistake two was that you hid, mistake three was carving open my heart and leaving me to bleed,” JD also had tears streaming down his face as the words grated through gritted teeth.

Veronica made up her mind.

“Then do it,” Veronica held the gun up to her stomach. Her hands were steady but his grip was not, they shook and made the gun tremble against her clothed skin.

“I love you JD,” she lifted her free hand to his face. He was warm.

“I love you too,” he whispered back, voice shaking and barely audible. He wanted to drop the gun but her steel grip kept it there.

“So do it, shoot me,” Veronica knew that even if he calmed down, the rage that festered would only come back up. “Because why do they deserve to die and I deserve to live?”

“You love me,” JD’s eyes were bloodshot and so tired.

“But I hurt you too, just like they did to me,” Veronica whispered, her free hand wiped the tears away. “The vicious cycle will never end unless you let it end.”

“But I love you, and I chose you, and you chose me too,” his voice was sombre. “They chose to be dicks to you, I was doing this for you.”

“People hurt us, and you’re right it really blows, but we need to let go now, for me, please let go,” her voice was rough and raw with emotions. She was no longer scared, she finally saw what he saw; felt what he felt. Now everything made sense. Her hand crawled up the gun to meet with his own. Her fingers wrapped around his.

She closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.

“Fuck,” she whimpered and hit the blood-stained floor.

“What the fuck,” JD screamed in anguish, letting go of the gun and held her drooping body in his arms.

The door burst open. Her parents were yelling and glassware filled with pastries and tea fell to the ground.

“Mum, dad, the things that happened made me want to kill myself, but JD, he knew. He read my annotated notes of Moby Dick, he came running, and tried to stop me from shooting,” Veronica coughed, which cause a shooting pain originating from the bullet wound in her gut. She winced, adrenaline numbing her from most of the damage.

“No, no, no,” JD cradled her close, and it was a relief because she felt so cold.

“Come closer JD, my love,” Veronica was losing the battle to open her eyes. “I wish I met you before they convinced you that life is war, but hey now listen, you can end this, just go remove the bombs. I will be right here, I will be waiting, for you to come back to my side. Now, dear, listen, this ends right here today. Life, life is not a running war. We give it meaning, as much meaning as we would like. It is true I chose you, and I love you but I want to be seventeen. I want us all to be seventeen. I want us to be beautiful.”

“Even me?” JD’s breath was shallow, trying to take in air between his racking sobs.

“You can be beautiful, so beautiful,” Veronica closed her eyes.

 

When she opened her eyes again, the light blinded her.

It was a new world. JD stood away from her, his back against the wall. His hands were tucked into his black trench coat and he had no discernible emotions on his face. Martha Dunnstock, Heather Mcnamara and her parents stood around her; the people who really mattered. _How are you feeling? Are you okay? Oh, thank god you are alive._

She said nothing to them but smiled, but her eyes stayed glued to JD.

“JD, Veronica is awake,” Veronica’s mum ushered him over to the bed as she spoke to her. “You know darling, he never left your side.”

“My dear Veronica, how are you, I hope you are just fine,” JD swallowed hard before he spoke. She could see it and she heard, the tears he tried so hard to fight back. “I love you, and I missed you.”

“I love you too,” Veronica smiled weakly and tried to reach for his cheek. She had not the strength to do it. He cleared his throat to get her attention.

“I am so sorry,” JD cried. “I chose you, I did.”

“I know, and I choose you too,” Veronica locked eyes with her love. Then she noticed it, how serious he was.

“I chose your love, but it is my love that is broken and toxic and wrong,” JD poured his heart out. “I believed, I truly believed that it was not me who was wrong, that it was everyone else.”

“Guys, get out,” Veronica waved away everyone else in the room.

“It was me who was vicious, it was me who was hurting everyone else. I thought life was a war, but when I fell for you, I realised that maybe not. I tried to hold on to that notion, got angry at the wrong things, even at you. When you forced me to hold the gun against you and told me those words that broke through, I finally allowed myself to see the truth of it all. That maybe I was wrong.”

“It is over now,” she was taken aback but held his hand.

“Is it really? Just look at what I did to you,” JD looked at the bandages around her stomach.

“If I recall, it was me who pulled the trigger,” she tried to laugh, the air wheezed out of her lungs, a dry breath was all that came out.

“I was the one who wanted to kill you at first,” JD confessed.

“I know,” Veronica nodded. “But what are you getting at?”

“Maybe it is time I stopped playing the victim, the smartass and the murderer. Maybe it is time I learn how to be real,” JD stood up and took small steps away from the bed, away from Veronica. “I cannot do this all alone, but I cannot hurt you any longer, so, I have decided to skip this town. Give living for real a try. Maybe when I am all good again, I will come back for you.”

Veronica nodded her head. In a way, they both knew, this relationship could not come true. One of them had to walk away.

“I love you, now go be beautifully seventeen,” Veronica felt tears cascade down her face.

“And that would be beautiful,” JD’s voice was just a whisper before the door closed behind him.

**Author's Note:**

> How am I just so late to the Heathers game?  
> Also, why are you so fucked up JD?
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Forgive me if there are any spelling/grammar errors, do leave comments and constructive criticism for me!  
> Please let me know if you like what you're reading by leaving me a kudos and a comment!


End file.
